Eugene Gilkes

Eugene was a sporting legend during his time at Manwood’s and is one of the school's most decorated alumni. He was Captain of Athletics in 1977-1978; 1978-1979 and 1979-80 as well as Captain of Basketball in 1978-79 and he even played a bit of rugby! Eugene went on to achieve a European Junior Championships silver medal and then represented England in the decathlon at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. Four years later he represented England again and this time won a bronze medal, at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Aukland, New Zealand. If you want to get a different sense of Eugene’s athethic ability, he still holds the Manwood’s Boys Senior records in the 100m (10.4 seconds), 200m (21.5 seconds), 400m (47.2 seconds), Long Jump (7.06m), Pole Vault (3.4m), Shot (13.38m) and Discuss (44.86m)! Eugene’s athletics career also led to an appearance in the sixth series of ITV’s Gladiators in 1997 where he served as "Official Timekeeper" to Referee John Anderson.

Outside of athletics Eugene is an experienced business growth and leadership development consultant specialising in Inclusion, with a core belief that when people feel able to contribute openly, organisations become more capable of learning, adapting and succeeding. With over 35 years in the field, he helps senior leaders develop effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) strategies that specifically drive business success. His career has been defined by fostering inclusive workplace cultures that enhance performance and unlock potential. This mission was inspired by his parents' mantra to always strive to be his best self.

Eugene has also served as a volunteer school governor for over 24 years, promoting equality and inclusion in education and in 2023 he became a Member of Manwood's Academy Trust.